Appliance cord spring



July 22, 1941.

17200225079: 4L BEE 7' 5 LJND T Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPLIANCE CORD SPRING Application October 2, 1936, Serial No. 103,762

This invention relates to springs, and, more 2 Claims.

particularly, to protector springs adapted for use about electric cords where they are joined to appliances and the like.

Heretofore it has been customary to utilize springs about electric cords to prevent the latter from being too sharply flexed at the point of attachment to appliances, switch casings, etc. Suchsprings are provided with a ferrule of suitable composition, such as, wood or Bakelite. These ferrules are provided to afford a smooth bearing for the wire to pass through to prevent chafing and severing of the insulation thereon, and also to provide a smooth rim or knob at the end of the spring remote from the appliances. The bore of the ferrule is preferably of smaller diameter than the convolutions of the spring protector to which it is attached, in order to snugly encompass the wire.

It is an object of the present invention to provide appliance cord springs, or spring protectors, of an integral construction having a ferrule portion formed out of the terminal convolutions of the spring, thus obviating the necessity of employing attachable ferrules of extraneous materials.

It is a further object to reduce the cost of such spring protectors and to facilitate and expedite the manufacture thereof.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter when the following specification is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure '2 is an end view of the-ferrule end thereof.

Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding to Figures 1 and. 2, respectively, of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout:

The invention is illustrated as being embodied in a protector spring having the conventional body portion formed of a plurality of convolutions of wire I. At one end of the spring the convolutions are gradually reduced in size, as at 2, constituting the commencement of the ferrule portion. Convolutions of the spring with the smallest diameter, as at 3, form a constricted passage for the cord of application, and the convolutions are thereafter gradually enlarged to provide a bell-mouthed terminus on the ferrule as is indicated at 2'. The end oi the wire at the ferrule end of the spring may be disposed to overlie the next preceding convolution, as. is shown at], in Figures 1 and 2, or may be bent outwardly and downwardly to lie within the outer annular recess aiforded by the smaller convolutions 3, as is illustrated at 5, in Figures 3 and 4. This latter construction prevents the loose end from becoming accidentally snagged into the insulation of the wire, or with any other object. The end convolutions of the spring, remote from the ferrule, as are shown at 8, are of conventional design and are usually larger than the adjacent body convolutions for attachment to an appliance or switch casing.

While we have shown and described certain specific embodiments of our invention, we do not intend to be specifically limited thereto, since many departures may be made from the specific embodiment disclosed herein. without departing from the spirit of the invention as is defined by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A protector spring for cords and the like,

comprising a body composed of a plurality of coaxial convolutions of wire, said body having a terminal portion including convolutions of appreciably smaller diameter than the adjacent convolutions of said body, said smaller convolutions defining a constricted portion constituting a ferrule, other convolutions thereof being of gradually increasing diameter and extending away from said body and said constricted portion to define a substantially bell-mouthed terminus on said spring..

2. A spring protector for cords and the-like comprising a body portion formed of a plurality of co-axial convolutions of wire, an integral ferrule upon the end of said body portion being formed of convolutions gradually decreasing in diameter to define a constricted portion. and thereafter gradually enlarging in diameter, the end of the last convolution being disposed outwardly and inwardly to occupy the outer annular recess afforded by said constricted portion.

ALBERT SUNDT. JOSEPH A. DRAHAS. 

